What if they knew?
by Schwarzd354
Summary: The reactions of several Naruto characters when they learn the truth about the Kyuubi.  Drabble style.
1. Chapter 1

Once, when Orochimaru ordered the Sound Five to retrieve his next vessel, he warned them of the Kyuubi's container. He instructs them to capture Uzumaki alongside Uchiha if possible, but that the Sharingan is the main priority of the mission and that they may kill the Kyuubi's container if he interferes. He tells them this with a quiver of anticipation that is not entirely due to the prospect of the Sharingan.

When Tayuya sees this demon boy, she is even less impressed than she was with that fucking Uchiha fag and has no damn idea why Orochimaru is horny for this brat too. He's a too fucking short, too fucking loud, and too fucking fucking bright brat and there is no fucking way he could possibly be a ninja. No wonder Konoha is so damn weak. She doesn't believe for a second his claims of retrieving his 'teammate', and she doesn't give two shits about some gay ass promise he made. She knows that, demon or no, this brat won't be able to beat Uchiha and Orochimaru will get his new body.

Naruto just thought she was a bitch and didn't care what she had to say.

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Once, Temari saw two demons clash. One, she had known for years. The other, she knew nothing about. She saw what her brother could have been, and she was sad. She knew what the other could have been, and she was terrified.

The thought that this Uzumaki Naruto could have, and to the best of her knowledge could still, become like Garaa frightens her to her core. It keeps her up at night. Despite all her visits to Konoha, she has never been able to look Naruto square in the eye.

The memory of that day, and the fear it still inspires, stops her every time.

Naruto just thinks that she's shy.

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Once, Tenten saw the strongest fighter she knew, the genius of his year, be defeated by the 'dead-last' of the academy. She saw Naruto beaten, broken on the ground. All his tenketsu sealed and his spirit broken. The fight was over. Then he got up.

Later, she asked Neji about what happened. He confided in her that somehow, Naruto had a second charka focal point. Later still, she asked her parents about Naruto, and how he could be so powerful. Is he part of a clan? Does he have a bloodline?

She is told that Uzumaki Naruto is not to be discussed. The subject is closed. And being the good, model Kunoichi that she is, she follows orders.

Naruto just thinks she's quiet.

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Once, Ino was angry with Naruto. He had pranked her, or said something unflattering about her, she doesn't even really remember. But she wanted to pay him back. After putting some thought into it, Ino had the idea to use her Shintensen no Jutsu to take control of his body. She'd figure out what to do with him once she had control.

Unfortunately, when she entered Naruto's body, instead of finding herself in control, she found herself in a sewer. Unfortunately, she found herself looking up at a gigantic cage with enormous red eyes and colossal claws behind the bars. And unfortunately, she didn't know how far those claws could reach.

Naruto thinks that it's a shame Ino won't wake up from her coma.

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Once, shortly after her Byakugan had first activated, Hinata looked at one of the boys in her class. She saw that Naruto had something inside of him, something other than what most people had. As she learned about Konoha's history, she eventually made the connection.

Hinata also saw how people treated Naruto. She saw how they yelled at him and whispered about him. She saw how they ignored him and how they hit him. She saw how they abused him, how they used him. She saw all of this. But she also saw how he always got back up. She also saw how he never lashed out. She saw his pain, and she saw through his mask.

Hinata saw the truth long ago. It's why she respects Naruto so much.

Naruto still just thinks she's nice, but kinda weird.

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Once, Naruto told Sakura the truth. He had hoped that she would understand him, or at least not hate him like the villagers. He was wrong.

Sakura blamed Naruto for everything. She blamed him for Asuma's death. She blamed him for every failure and difficulty their team had ever had. And most of all, she blamed him for Sasuke's defection. She called him 'monster', and 'demon', and every horrible, terrible, painful name that every villager had ever called him in his life.

She told him that if he really wanted to prove that he wasn't a demon, that if he wanted to redeem himself, than he would go and bring Sasuke home. So Naruto left for the Village Hidden in the Sound. He tried as hard as he could and to his credit, he made it through the entire village, all the way to Sasuke. But he didn't make it back.

Sakura never forgave herself for the price it cost her to realize the truth about Sasuke.

Naruto thinks it would have been nice if she had realized it sooner.

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Author's Notes: Just too clear up a few things. Each of these are a separate idea, just a bunch of little drabbles. Also worth mentioning is that I don't feel this way about all of these characters. I actually like Ino, and I think that the loud blond (Naruto) and the other loud blond (Ino) make for an interesting (and occasionally amusing) concept for a pairing. I just couldn't think of any other way to involve her in this story concept. I know that Tenten has little to no backstory in the canon, I used that leeway to work her into the story. Does anyone know anything about her parents? Because I don't.

I may continue this with other groups of characters. I got this idea because I was thinking of the girls Naruto is most often paired with, and I started thinking about how they would react to the knowledge that he is the Kyuubi's container. I may write additional chapters for the guys, maybe one for the adults. I dunno, but drop me a line and let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

Shikamaru always enjoyed puzzles. He liked the challenge of figuring out where each piece went, and in what order. His love of puzzles was the drive behind his enjoyment (it was too troublesome to call it passion) of Go and Shougi. No matter how he tried to avoid it, when confronted with a new puzzle his mind would not rest until it had been solved.

Naruto had been a puzzle for as long as Shikamaru had known him. The academy teachers (with the exception of Iruka-sensei) always treated Naruto as if he didn't belong, one piece. Naruto's physical capabilities (healing, stamina, chakra capacity) far exceeded those of the average twelve year old, two pieces. Naruto's skill with techniques (horrible at simple techniques, but able to perform kage bushin?) was also odd for a genin, three pieces.

The final piece. After having his tenketsu sealed Naruto was not only able to stand again, but was able to produce a visible aura of chakra. Red. Chakra.

Having finally solved a puzzle that took him several years, Shikamaru is just glad he'll finally be able to nap again.

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Neji always knew that fate controlled everything. He knew that it was his fate to always be beneath his cousins, despite his skill. He knew it was his fate to always wear the brand of the branch family, because of the inconvenient timing of his father's birth. And he knew it was his fate to one day give up his life for the safety of his bloodline and the main family, just as fate forced his father to do.

But Neji knew that sometimes fate worked in his favor, and he learned to enjoy those moments when he could. Fate allowed him to develop his bloodline skills to a level that rivaled many in the main family. Fate allowed him to be the strongest genin on his team. Fate even allowed him to defeat his cousin.

Since fate had allowed him to defeat Hinata, he knew it would allow him to defeat the academy's 'dead-last'.

But it seems the Kyuubi does not believe in fate. And neither does Uzumaki Naruto.

For the first time in his life, Neji saw fate be denied. And for the first time in his life, he was happy to witness that.

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Sasuke always knew that it was his responsibility to be the strongest of the genins. How else would he be able to kill Itachi if he wasn't the absolute best. So he studied his books. He trained his body. He developed his chakra control. And he unlocked his Sharingan.

And he still was not the strongest.

Rock Lee defeated him, so he copied the genin's taijutsu style. Gaara defeated him, so he used the cursed seal. Despite this, he still could not win. Had it ended there, Sasuke could have lived with it. He could have trained and defeated Lee. He could have found a way around Gaara's demon.

But what he could not live with, was the fact that no matter what he did, no matter how hard he trained, no matter what he learned, and no matter what shortcuts he took. Naruto matched him each and every time. Worse, Naruto surpassed him. The Rasengan was stronger than his Chidori. Naruto could summon allies on the level of Gaara's demon form.

Naruto…was better.

When Orochimaru told him why. Why Naruto was so strong, why Naruto could do so much, Why Naruto had so _much_ power.

Sasuke knew that he was the best. _He_ was stronger, _he_ was better, _he_ was more powerful.

And since he was the best, that must mean that Konoha had nothing left to teach him. And since he could not get any stronger in the Hidden Leaf, that must mean he made the right choice by defecting to the Hidden Sound.

…Right?


	3. Chapter 3

When Orochimaru first saw the Kyuubi's vessel, he was amused. The child was so determined that it was pathetic. When the vessel survived being eaten by one of Orochimaru's summoms, he was surprised. When the vessel began to prevent Orochimaru from claiming the last of the Uchiha's, he was angry.

How dare this, this _worm_ get in the way of his perfection? How dare this child have the _gall_ to claim superiority over his next body? How dare this _insect_ channel the perfect chakra of the Kyuubi?

Orochimaru enjoyed altering the Fourth Hokage's seal. Not only was the pain on the boy's face exquisite, but there was a deep sense of satisfaction for disrupting the dying act of Konoha's precious Fourth.

He had always hated Jiraiya's student, and the vessel looked far too much like Arashi.

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When Tsunade first saw Uzumaki Naruto, she had no idea that he was the Yondaime's legacy. The first thing she thought of when she saw him was Nawaki, the first thing she thought of when he started talking was Dan.

The way he pouted, the way he shouted. The way he talked, the way he walked. What he said, the way he said it. Dan and Nawaki, Nawaki and Dan. Uzumaki Naruto.

But, she couldn't go back. Not to that. Not to Konoha. So she made a bet with him. Master the Rasengan within a week, and she would become the Fifth Hokage.

She realized that Naruto was the Kyuubi's container when she fought with Orochimaru. And she knew then that his words, for all their similarity, would one day separate him from Dan and Nawaki.

Uzumaki Naruto would one day be the Hokage of Konoha.

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When Jiraiya first saw Uzumaki Naruto he saw a ghost of the past. He saw Arashi. He saw his student. He saw the Fourth Hokage. The boy's hair, his voice, his mannerisms, his love of ramen, his desire to prove himself, his disdain of Jiraiya's perverted nature, and even how unimpressed he was with Jiraiya's declaration of being a 'super pervert'.

But after a time he saw the boy of the present. He saw Naruto for Naruto, and not for Arashi. He saw a boy who had so many reasons behind his dream. A desire not just to protect, but for the acceptance of those he would protect. A desire not just to be strong, but to be strong for a reason. A desire, a drive not just to succeed, but to help others succeed as well.

It was seeing the boy of the present that allowed Jiraiya to see the promise of the future. And once he saw that promise, he knew that demon or no demon, Naruto would fulfill that promise. Because that was the boy's way of the ninja.

And dammed if that wasn't a good way to follow.


	4. Chapter 4

The Kyuubi no Kitsune was the strongest of the demons. His nine tails stood as a testament not only to his power, but also to his age and knowledge. He was a god amongst demons. So his fury at being imprisoned in a human _infant_ was understandable.

For years he raged against his prison. He clawed and bit at the seal, only to be repelled. He threw his massive form at the bars but they never budged, refusing to allow him the freedom he craved. He fought and he fought and he fought. All to no avail.

When his rage had quelled he began to ponder his imprisonment. He examined the seal which locked his cage, but was unable to pierce the tapestry that the Death God had woven. He debated the merits of channeling his chakra into the seal, the bars, or his host. But his chakra would not affect his prison, and it would simply leak out of his warden. He contemplated all this and more over the course of still more years.

After contemplating all possible theorems and concepts and avenues, he slept. He slept the dreamless sleep of demons, for they have no conscience to trouble them. No moral code embedded in their subconscious that makes lesser beings question their actions. Or rather, his sleep would have been dreamless. As quiet and undisturbed as it had ever been. But instead, he dreamed memories. As he slept, the mighty Kyuubi no Kitsune lived the life of his host.

He saw an infant who was refused the most basic of care. He saw a toddler who was left alone when he tumbled and injured himself. He saw a child who was attacked by civilians and shinobi both. He saw a boy who found a dream, a goal, a reason to press on. He saw a youth who forged within himself the dedication to see that dream achieved.

Then, he awoke. And he saw before him the subject of his dreams. He laughed when his jailer demanded a portion of his chakra, as rent of all things. He considered refusing. But he remembered the youth from his dreams, the one who stood before him now. Small, fragile, weak in comparison to him. He made his decision.

He was the Kyuubi no Kitsune. He was the strongest of the demons. He was akin to a god.

If he could no longer be the strongest, then his host would be.


End file.
